Is David Ranch Jumbo Sunflower Seeds ultra-processed?

5.25oz Sunflower seeds Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Whey
E414 Acacia gum
E627 Disodium guanylate
E631 Disodium inosinate

18 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed sunflower seeds

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

sunflower seeds, salt (processing marker), canola, sunflower oil (processing marker), buttermilk powder, corn syrup solids, whey powder (ultra-processing marker), onion, citric acid, garlic, spices, sugar (processing marker), tomato, yeast extract, disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), gum acacia (ultra-processing marker), natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E414 Acacia gum , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

SUNFLOWER SEEDS, SALT, CANOLA AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL, BUTTERMILK POWDER, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, WHEY POWDER, ONION POWDER, CITRIC ACID, GARLIC POWDER, SPICES, SUGAR, TOMATO POWDER, YEAST EXTRACT, DISODIUM INOSINATE & DISODIUM GUANYLATE, GUM ACACIA, NATURAL FLAVOR.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.

3 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 23 sunflower seeds

From least to most processed, this one ranks 23rd. 13% of the sunflower seeds here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 23 sunflower seeds, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0026200467726, last edited 21 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.